Loss of Ratings. Over the weekend, Tiger Woods announced that, because of the recent developments in his personal life, he would be taking an indefinite break from golf until he gets his life back in order.
The move as unexpected as it will prove to be unwelcome, with industry insiders estimating that golf programs will see ratings drop severely, The Hollywood Reporter informs. The first signs of what is known as the “Tiger Woods effect” have already started to show, the same publication says. NBC saw ratings plummet with 54 percent for the Chevron World Challenge, which Woods helped found and to which he could not participate. Things are only about to get much worse, with only die-hard fans still sticking around to see a golf tournament, they say. With this in mind, it’s no wonder people are already talking about Woods killing, with his personal problems, golf tournaments – at least in terms of coverage and reception on television.
Tiger’s Return Expected raise ratings. When Tiger Woods tees off later today at the Accenture Match Play Championship, he won't be the only one relieved by his return to the links.
In fact, PGA Tour officials and TV executives might have more of a reason to celebrate than Tiger himself. The Nielsen Company compared the network TV ratings for the 3rd and 4th rounds of golf tournaments played by Woods after the U.S. Open in 2007 with those same tournaments he missed in 2008 due to a season-ending knee injury. And the results are just what you might expect: Tiger's absence almost singlehandedly sliced tour ratings in half.
The average household rating/share for the 2007-08 tournaments played by Tiger was 3.3/8. For the record, Tiger won last year's Accenture Match Play Championship in front of an average 4.2 million TV viewers tuned to NBC. The "Tiger Effect" extends beyond TV ratings; it has an impact on web traffic, as well. [caption id="attachment_8602" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Source: The Nielsen Company 2009"] Loss of Money. By Michael McCarthy, USA TODAY Tiger Woods' self-imposed exile could cost him millions in endorsement dollars and winnings.
But the loss of golf's biggest cash cow also could deliver a financial whammy to the PGA Tour, TV networks, corporate sponsors and other entities that rely on the world's No. 1 player to drive their business. Without the so-called Tiger Effect, pro golf could be staring at the Tiger Recession. The Tiger-less Tour begins in earnest today at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines near San Diego. The former Buick Invitational is viewed as the de facto start of the season since it's typically Woods' first tournament and the first to attract broadcast TV coverage. Woods' vanishing act is taking a toll on tournament sales. After apologizing in a statement for his "infidelity" to wife Elin Nordegren, Woods announced Dec. 11 that he would take an indefinite break from pro golf. The biggest money-loser from the Woods sex scandal appears to be Woods. The stakes are high.